Earlier, activists had criticized the open space policy approved by the BMC in January, claiming that it left much scope for misinterpretation and misuse.Vijay V Singh | TNN | December 29, 2016, 18:00 IST

MUMBAI: The city improvements committee in the BMC cleared an interim open space policy on Wednesday where it would give public gardens and playgrounds to private entities and trusts on an 11-month lease for maintenance. Opposition parties in the committee alleged that the ruling alliance in the BMC, the Shiv Sena-BJP, had taken a U-turn on the issue to help their party leaders grab some of the open spaces.

Earlier, activists had criticized the open space policy approved by the BMC in January, claiming that it left much scope for misinterpretation and misuse. The chief minister was forced to call for a review of the open spaces policy and said that over 216 plots that were given to private players under the adoption policy for maintenance would be taken back. The BMC has taken back 141 plots of the 216 plots so far and is yet to take back 75 plots from the adoptees.

“The remaining plots are in the possession of senior ruling party leaders, and it is to protect their interests that the BMC has taken a U-turn at a time when we have funds to maintain our open spaces and have started taking back open spaces given to different trusts,” Mohsin Haidar, improvements committee member and Congress corporator, said. “There was no need to bring in the interim policy now. Through it, they are trying to ensure that the remaining open spaces are not taken back from the possession of their party leaders.”

Under the interim police, the adoptee should provide free entry to citizens, allow no construction on the plot, and maintain the plot from its own pocket.

There were allegations that private entities had taken over public open spaces under the adoption policy; many of the plots were taken by influential politicians from various parties and they constructed private clubhouses on these, restricting free entry to the common man.

“We need an interim police to maintain existing gardens,” he said. “Some good trusts are maintaining open spaces well, and these should be allowed to continue. The interim policy is good for the city.”

An improvement committee member, SP corporator Ashraf Azmi, said the ruling party will keep extending the interim policy for years after failing to bring in a public-friendly policy. “It will help ensure that public plots with their leaders remain as they are,” he said.